Richard Orlu says he didn't just join Woking with the aim of avoiding relegation and is confident the Cards will be challenging at the other end of the National League table under new boss Anthony Limbrick.

Orlu ended a four year stay at Dover Athletic to sign for Woking and admits he was won over by Limbrick, a former Southampton and West Ham academy coach, from the first conversation.

And while it may seem strange for a player to choose to swap a team who finished just outside the play-offs for a club who only avoided relegation on the last day of the season, the defender is happy for the chance of a fresh challenge in Surrey.

(Image: Macclesfield Express)

“When my season finished with Dover, I didn't really hear much from them,” Orlu explained.

“Every other year I've sorted out my contract before the end of the season but when I didn't hear anything I started speaking to other clubs.

“I spoke to a few clubs but the first time I spoke to the manager at Woking, which was after the season had finished, I liked what he had to say and I liked the set-up, so we met in person. We had a good chat and we had similar ideas about how the game should be played and it seems like a good club so a lot of it made sense.

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“I'm ready for a fresh challenge and that's a cliché but when you are doing something, unless you’re constantly challenged, you get a bit bored. You need to freshen it up sometimes.”

Woking are unlikely to be one of the favourites for the title come August, but while admitting playing for a rookie manager is a “gamble”, Orlu has confidence that Limbrick's Cards can be challenging at the top end of the table.

“As far as I'm concerned, Dover finished outside the play-offs, they didn't make the play-offs and I wanted to make the play-offs minimum,” he said.

“With Woking, I know they had a bad season but they have had a change in manager and they are trying to improve next year. I don't see it as we will just be avoiding relegation next year, I see it as a club that can push on and look for promotion and there's no reason why Woking can't do that. It's a good club.

“It's all going to be new but the new challenge is what was exciting for me. He [Limbrick] hasn't managed at this level before but when I spoke to him he sounds like he knows what he's talking about. It's a gamble but he seems to know his stuff and you don't work at the clubs he's worked at without knowing something about football.

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“It will be different going from one of the most experienced non-league managers [Dover boss Chris Kinnear] to someone who is new to it but I don't see it as a problem.

“I'm not going to sit here and say we will definitely be winning the league and stuff, but every game I play in I want to win.

“You can't just start the season thinking we need to avoid relegation. I don't have that mentality and Woking don't have that mentality from what I know about the club. They have never been that kind of club so I'm not thinking like that. I'm thinking towards the top end and I want to finish as high as I can and so do Woking.”